


I Don't Need All The Answers

by goddess_julie



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:02:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22366096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_julie/pseuds/goddess_julie
Summary: On the ice Mitch and Auston were always in sync.  Mitch could pass to Matty with his eyes closed, he could feel where the other man was and knew without question that Auston would be there to receive his pass.  And furthermore, Mitch knew without a doubt that Auston could send him a pass without blinking and was confident that Mitch would be where he needed to be to set up the shot....Except lately something seemed to be off.  Not on the ice, they were still in sync with each other and they still had that telepathic magic that best friends and teammates have.  More so, it was off the ice.  Auston had seemed to be pulling away, leaving Mitch feeling confused and honestly hurt.OrMitch is in love.  Auston is pulling away and Willy and Zach are the team's worst kept secret.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman/William Nylander
Comments: 3
Kudos: 146





	I Don't Need All The Answers

**Author's Note:**

> This is the very first fic I wrote in this fandom but haven't posted it until now. I wasn't sure that I'd gotten their voices right and was a little hesitant on it since I dove in with both feet. Please let me know if you've seen any glaring mistakes, it's not betaed except for myself.
> 
> It's all fiction, I don't make any suppositions about the sexual preferences, sexuality or personalities of anyone I've written about. I just like stories where hot guys are in love.

On the ice Mitch and Auston were always in sync. Mitch could pass to Matty with his eyes closed, he could feel where the other man was and knew without question that Auston would be there to receive his pass. And furthermore, Mitch knew without a doubt that Auston could send him a pass without blinking and was confident that Mitch would be where he needed to be to set up the shot.

Their connection was that strong.

They finished each other’s sentences.

Knew without having to ask, just needing a look from the other, the answer to any unasked question.

Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews were two halves of a whole. The rest of the Leafs knew it, often joking about how they were each others shadows. Maple Leafs fans knew it as they watched them on their line together, making magic happen time after time on the ice. And they, themselves knew it as something that didn’t need to be said, something that just was.

Except lately something seemed to be off. Not on the ice, they were still in sync with each other and they still had that telepathic magic that best friends and teammates have. More so, it was off the ice. Auston had seemed to be pulling away, leaving Mitch feeling confused and honestly hurt. Mitch knew he was a very tactile guy, open with his emotions and feelings and wore his heart on his sleeve. He wasn’t afraid of being touchy with the guys and was always teased about how needy for affection and attention he was. He wouldn’t think twice of throwing himself against someone to celebrate a goal, to demand cuddles when watching a movie or just snuggling up while trying to sleep on the bus or flight from city to city.

There was just an unsaid agreement that Auston bore the brunt of Mitch’s neediness, and when Auston was busy or needed his own space, Mitch would make his way around the guys until someone took pity on him and let him cuddle up for a session. That had never seemed like a big inconvenience to Auston, until recently.

“I’m trying to read Marns, go bug Willy.”

“I’ve just gotta call my mom, need some privacy.”

And wait… Mitch has snuggled with Auston before while he was on the phone to his mom, going as far to talk to Ema while Auston had needed to take a minute to go for a piss.

“I’m not feeling well today, don’t want you to catch whatever I’ve got.”

So used to his best friend’s denial, Mitch had started to bypass Auston all together and start spending free time with Willy and Zach, only spending time with Auston in practice, in the video room while looking over tapes and on the ice during games.

“What the fuck is going on with you two,” Zach passes Mitch another beer and shrugs as Willy throws a hand of popcorn at him. “What? Are we not supposed to discuss it?”

William shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “It’s rude. Mitch will tell us when he’s ready.”

Mitch downs half of his Molson Canadian to avoid their questioning glares. Finally, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and shrugs. “I don’t know dudes, one minute we’re cool, the next he’s all sorry, not sorry get out of my face Mitchy.”

“When was the last time you guys talked?” Zach asks, leaning back against the couch. They’ve gathered at Willy’s house to play video games and destress after a few shitty games, but they’d yet to pull out the console and Mitch was thinking this had been a ruse to corner him. 

“Is this an intervention?” Mitch asks suspiciously. “Like, did you both plan this?”

“No, this is just an unexpected opportunity. Don’t avoid the question.” William says sternly. Zach sighs and pats his lap comfortingly. Mitch would like to know why William is being comforted, he’s the one being grilled.

“Today at practice. We discussed…”

“Not what we mean,” William counters. “When was the last time you really talked? Like, heart to heart Mitchy and Matty talks?”

Prior to the past month, Mitch would have said that day, or the day before depending on the time of day. They spoke daily, about nothing and everything. Auston was someone Mitch told everything to, not even his mom knew half as much as Auston did about him, and Mitch told his mother almost everything. Instead he shrugged. He honestly didn’t know.

“That’s not right,” Zach offers sadly. “He’s seemed so distant lately, with everyone. Like he’s usually at least talking to you if not anyone else, but if he’s not…”

“It’s nothing,” Mitch isn’t sure if he is trying to convince himself or his friends. “He’s had a lot on his mind…”

“Did you …” William looks as though he wants to say more but isn’t sure if he should. Mitch gives him a nod and urges him to continue. A look passes between his two teammates that Mitch doesn’t know how to interpret. “Did you tell him how you feel about him? Is that why he’s…”

Mitch’s face flames with shock and embarrassment. He hadn’t realized anyone else had been able to tell how he felt about Auston, and judging by the expression on Zach and William’s faces, both know. Neither seem surprised, in fact, it is as if it’s common knowledge. If they both know and Mitch hadn’t told them, maybe Auston knew and … The panic began to grow in his chest and Mitch started breathing in short panicked breaths.

“Mitch, no… It’s okay.”

“How…” Mitch gasps to Zach.

“Mitch,” Zach repeats and moves to sit down on the couch beside Mitch. “It’s okay, breathe.”

“Does everyone .. oh shit, fuck… Everyone knows?”

In an effort to distract Mitch from the anxiety attack he is having Willy lets out a soft chuckle and shakes his head. “Are you kidding? No one knows. Have you seen the assholes we play with? They wouldn’t know shit even if you told them straight up.”

Mitch affords himself a deep breath. Anxiety is still thrumming through his veins but his breathing is slowly leveling out. “But you two…”

As if choreographed, both Willy and Zach roll their eyes and chuckle. After a silent conversation is had between them, Zach stands up to sit back in his original position next to Willy, except they begin kissing.

Gratuitously.

And fuck, that is Willy’s tongue in Zach’s mouth.

Oooh, Mitch watches as Willy tilts Zach’s face just enough that he can deepen the kiss. Mitch had been about to palm himself when the reality of what he is seeing registers.

“The fuck?”

His two friends pull away, placing tiny follow up kisses on each other’s mouths before they turn to smile at Mitch innocently. Well, as innocently as they can while breathing heavily, Zach’s mouth swollen and Willy’s hair mussed from where Zach’s fingers were pulling on the strands.

“No seriously, the fuck? What the… When the fuck?”

“He calls me babe,” Willy speaks flatly. “ALL THE TIME.”

“And?” Mitch asks in confusion. He watched them exchange eye rolls again.

“Last summer, when we were all in Arizona visiting Matty?” Zach starts slowly, as if he’s speaking to a child. Mitch gives a nod, which causes for Zach to shake his head. “We shared a hotel room.”

“So? Cheaper to bunk up.”

“We make enough that we can afford a fucking hotel room Marnie,” Willy sounds very disappointed in Mitch and Mitch isn’t sure he likes that very much.

“Okay?”

“You were in our room, right Mitch?” Zach asks, painfully slow and gentle, moreso than before. Mitch gives his friends a nod and shrugs. “IT HAD ONE BED.”

Mitch lets himself think on it for a moment. He thinks about that trip, where most of the guys had stayed at Auston’s in guest rooms and on the floor and couches. But Willy and Zach insisted they get a hotel room together for space. And privacy. Mitch then thinks about all of the other times he could think of, lingering touches of Zach’s hand on Willy’s lower back when they’d go out for dinner. Some dinners that they’d gone on out on their own because they wanted time alone. The fact that Zach DOES call Willy Babe a lot. And how he’d overheard a conversation about Willy refusing to be referred to as Willy Hyman because it was just asking for sex jokes. And HOLY FUCK, his entire world shifts on its axis and his jaw drops.

“Think he got it,” Zach teases with a squeeze to Willy’s hand that is thread with his own on his lap.

“Jesus fuck,” Mitch exclaims again, this time with a giant grin on his face. “How long…?”

“Party at Matty’s was our 1 year anniversary,” Willy admits with a chuckle. “Our official anniversary. We’d been fucking around before that, but that was when we realized that we were both in it for the long haul and it was more than just getting off in hotel rooms on the road.”

“And no one knows?”

“You’re all fucking stupid,” Zach laughs and gives a shrug. “We’re not hiding it. I’m convinced that if you came in to the locker room at the Scotia and found me railing Willy’s ass, you’d still find a way not to figure it out.” For a moment, Mitch wants to argue but he looks at his friends and realizes that Zach’s not wrong. That gives him hope that no one else has figured out his big bi secret. 

“So I thought maybe, you’d told Matty how you feel and he turned you…” Willy mentions gently. Mitch’s shake of his head stops him mid sentence.

“Nah, I can’t tell him. I’d rather be in love and pine than ruin our friendship.” Mitch is proud that he doesn’t even stutter in his admission that he’s in love with Auston Matthews. Their first year playing Mitch had a big gay crush on him, practically worshiping the ice that Auston skated on, not to mention the ground he walked on. The more they spoke, the closer they got and the deeper he got to know the other man. The crush turned into something more, which turned into Mitch falling wholly in love with Auston. Auston made him want to play better hockey, train harder, do more off the ice, be a better person. He showed Mitch how to be who he is both on and off the ice and not be apologetic about it. Auston taught Mitch to own his place on the ice and not shy back from being proud of the player he is, to not take himself too seriously, but make others take him as serious as he took hockey.

And now Auston was pulling away.

“He probably found out,” Mitch admits sadly as he finishes his beer. He places the bottle on the table and leans back, covering his face with his hands.

“No way,” Zach offers confidently. “If you haven’t told him, there’s no way he knows.”

“You two knew!” Mitch cries through his fingers over his face. His whines are met with gentle laughter from his friends.

“We were looking for it,” Willy admits honestly. “We had our own shit going on and could see it with you.”

“You’ve known for a year and a half?” Mitch will deny the shrill shriek he makes until his dying day. Their silence was his answer.

As if giving him a break, Zach and Willy take pity and change the subject. From upcoming games to the all-star break, conversation stays away from Auston and Mitch for the rest of the night. Until Mitch’s phone lights up with a text. Looking at his phone, he notices that the text is from Freddie and Mitch is confused for a moment. He is even more confused when he opens the text.

_Marnie. Come get your boy, he’s a sad drunk and needs to go home._

_The fuck?_

_We’re at Johnny’s and he’s pissed out of his mind. Don’t know why you’re not here too, but come get him and take him home. Rest of us are too pissed to drive._

Mitch knows they could call Auston an uber but after the fiasco that happened with Uber in Ottawa, they tend to not use third party drivers if they’re too drunk or could make the team look bad in any way. A hammered Auston Matthews would definitely make news. The last thing Auston needed was more bad press about shit he gets up to when he’s drunk.

Before he has the chance to let Willy and Zach know what’s up, Mitch receives another text. This one from Matty

_I miss you._

It is followed closely by another.

_All the time_.

As he texts Freddie that he’ll be there in 45 and to start sobering Auston up, he fills his friends in on what is happening and where he is going. They wish him luck and Mitch knows that he’ll need it, just not sure in what capacity.

He doesn’t get any new texts while he is driving, making sure to drive as fast as he can to Johnny’s house in High Park, but at the same time, not so fast that he’ll get stopped by cops along the way. Less than an hour later he’s pulled into a familiar drive way and thinks to himself that if he didn’t know that Johnny had some of the guys over, he wouldn’t think anything was happening here.

It’s Aryne that answers the door when he rings the bell. She has a kind smile for him and offers him a hug as he steps in. “Here for Auston?” She asks as she leads Mitch through the house towards the door to the basement. 

“I guess so,” Mitch answers her with a chuckle. “Are they behaving?” he asks as she opens the door. The music filters up the stairs and, only then he can hear the noise that his teammates are making in their basement.

“Nothing that soundproof doors and ceilings didn’t fix.” Aryne winks knowingly as she pats him twice on the shoulder before heading through the house to where she’d been watching a movie with a friend. The woman waves at Mitch as he heads through the door and closes it behind him.

When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, it is to a rousing cheer from his teammates and other friends of theirs. Mitch is shocked to see Auston passed out in a chair in the corner, covered with a plush Islanders blanket that he is sure the guys did on purpose and took pictures of as blackmail material later.

Judging by their faces as he looks at each one of them with glee, he’s right.

“He’s gonna be so pissed,” Mitch says as he high fives Freddy and Barrie in hello.

“He’s lucky we didn’t draw dicks on his face with permanent marker,” Muzzin adds to the mix. He points to the number of sharpies he has next to his hand of cards at the poker table.

“Savage,” Mitch laughs as he takes a seat at the table. He shakes his head to Kasper’s offer of a beer from the fridge behind the bar. “Water,” he asks for instead and catches the bottle tossed in his direction.

“Where the fuck were you tonight anyways,” Kasper asks sitting on the couch where he’d been watching the Raptor’s game. It looked like the Raps were playing Kawhai and the Clippers and were up by 12. “Matty said he didn’t know where you were.”

Mitch shrugs as he downs half his water. “Was over at Zach’s with Willy, playing some Chel.” The guys didn’t need to know that they didn’t actually get to playing any video games. He is surprised when Muzzin and Tavares exchange a look. “What?”

“Why you cock blockin’ them when you coulda been here,” Muzzin finally says as he wins the pot in the middle of the table. Tavares tosses his cards down in disgust while Freddie mumbles something about Jake cheating.

“What?” Mitch knows his eyes are wide and if he has to lie… well he’ll do a shit job of it because he CAN’T lie. But he tries to play it off like he has no idea what they’re talking about. “The fuck are you on about?”

“He’s just wondering why you wanna third wheel with them. If the whole group is together yeah, but dude, they probably wanna just fuck and you’re there playing video games when Matty’s here with us,” Freddie laughs as he deals the next hand. When Mitch doesn’t respond all, of the men at the table stare at him like he’s grown another head. He glances over to see Kasper, Spezza and Mo looking at him with the exact same look on their faces.

“Dude,” Muzzin laughs, his whole body is shaking from it and his head thrown back. “Duuude. Tell me you knew!”

“Of course I knew,” Mitch pouts, ignoring the blush he knows is covering his entire face. “I’m just shocked you know. You all know!”

“We’re not fucking idiots,” Spezza says through a mouthful of cheezies. He throws a few at Auston, just to see if the other man will wake up. He doesn’t, which causes Spezza to throw a few more. Auston has a pretty liberal blanket of them on him by now. “I mean, we’d be asshole friends if we didn’t notice the way they’re so in fucking love with each other.”

“They got a hotel in Scotts last summer when we visted Matty,” Mo throws in. “With one bed.”

Mitch refuses to let his own ignorance be known.

“Yeah, and Zach calls Willy Babe. ALL the TIME!”

“RIGHT!” Freddie says, like he’s known it this whole time and figures that Mitch did too.

Mitch is seriously going to have to figure out how the fuck he’s missed two of his best friends fucking for a year and a half, more than that if he counts before they got together, and how he’s the only one who didn’t know.

They’re all making small talk when Auston yawns, waking up to see half a bowl of cheezies littered all over his hair, face and blanket. “Marns?” He groans before opening his eyes.

“Yeah Matty, I’m here to take you home.” Mitch stands up and bro slaps his teammates hands, letting them know he’ll see them tomorrow at the arena for practice. Auston is still drunk when he wakes, but accepts the water bottle Mitch hands it and drinks the whole thing before belching and slipping into his coat.

As he says one last goodbye to the guys, and then another to Ayrne and her friend upstairs, he corrals Auston into the passenger side of his car. They’re nearly to the Queensway, heading to Auston’s condo when he speaks. “Can we stop for Nuggets?” Auston asks softly. “I could crush a 20 pack right now.”

Mitch nods and chuckles. He’d been expecting that and is already headed towards a 24 hour McDonalds where he knew he could get them some food. They’re waiting at the second window of the Drive Thru when Auston speaks again. His eyes are closed and he’s resting his head against the back of his seat.

“You wanna stay tonight?”

“Am I invited?” Mitch doesn’t know why he feels he should ask, but he hasn’t been to Auston’s in over a month and he’s not sure where they stand. At least off the ice

“Fucking just did, bro.” Auston says without opening his eyes but curling his nose up in frustration.

“Yeah, I’ll stay.”

He thanks the girl in the window and smiles as she recognizes him and flutters her eyelashes at him. They’re halfway to Auston’s when Mitch finally instigates conversation. He knows Auston’s not sleeping by his breathing so he doesn’t worry about waking him.

“Did you know Willy and Zach are fucking?”

Auston’s eyes open drunkenly and he sits up straight in the passenger seat. “Fucking what?”

“Willy and Zach. They’re fucking, have been for like 2 years.”

“Fuck off, If I’d known that I’d have told you.” Auston waits a moment before cocking his head to the side. “Wait, did YOU know?” His speech is still slurred and Mitch wonders how much he’ll remember in the morning. 

“You’d have known if I knew.”

“You did know. You DO know?”

“Found out tonight, and I’m telling you. You found out when I did.”

“Oh shit,” Auston says, with more clarity than he’d had a moment ago. He wipes his face with his hands and rests his head back against the headrest of the seat. “I wonder who all knows.”

Mitch can’t stop the laughter. It’s nearly hysteric and he thinks Auston catches the tone because he opens one eye and looks at him. “Apparently we’re the only ones who didn’t.” Before Auston can ask any questions, Mitch continues. Willy and Zach told me tonight, but they’re like ‘no one knows. You’re all too fucking stupid and assholes to see what’s right in front of your face. But then at Johnny’s tonight, they’re all ‘why the fuck were you there, cockblocking them all night.”

“Shit, so everyone knows.”

Mitch nods as he pulls into Auston’s car park in his condo. “Seems like.”

They’re upstairs, Mighty Ducks is playing on TV and Auston has gone to throw their McDonalds garbage in the chute down the hall when Mitch thinks about how his night has gone full circle. Auston joins him on the couch and lays down with his head in Mitch’s lap, how they would have before he’d started to pull away. 

Auston’s face looks peaceful in the glow of the television, his eyes fluttered shut and he has a smile on his lips as he makes himself comfortable against Mitch. Unable to help himself, Mitch runs his fingers through Auston’s short locks, feeling his heart flutter with each drunken whimper that escapes Auston’s lips.

“Matty,” Mitch whispers softly. “What’s going on babe? Why are you pulling away from me.” He tries to hide his surprise when Auston’s eyes flutter open and their gazes lock.

“Because I love you,” Auston admits drunkenly. He lets his eyelids flutter shut and nuzzles his cheek into Mitch’s thigh. “And you’ll never love me back.” He punctuates his declaration with a snore and Mitch knows that Auston has fallen asleep. Mitch’s mind is racing a mile a minute, any amount of tiredness he had, any hope that he was close to sleep was now gone. He finds himself wide awake and unable to tear his eyes from his best friend’s sleeping form. Auston looks younger in his sleep, more at peace and as creepy as Mitch knows it is, he can’t help but stay on the couch, his feet up on the coffee table and holding Auston’s head in his lap as he mindlessly runs his fingers through his hair.

When Mitch wakes in the morning he notices a few things all at once. His neck is fucking killing him from the angle that he slept at, he’s alone on the couch and there is the smell and sound of crackling bacon on the stove. When he finally opens his eyes, Mitch sees Auston standing at the stove singing softly under his breath.

“The fuck didn’t you move me,” Mitch groans, moving his head from side to side to get the kinks out of his neck. He sees Auston freeze for a moment before he turns around, a tentative smile on his face.”

“You were out cold dude.” Auston tosses four pieces of bread into his massive toaster and nods to the island where he has two place settings ready. “Get up, breakfast is almost done.”

There is a moment where Mitch’s stomach is up in his throat. Auston never makes breakfast, and if he does, he tosses a bowl and a box of cereal at Mitch and tells him to make his own fucking breakfast, he’s not his mother. Judging from the bags sticking out of the garbage in the corner of the kitchen, Mitch guesses that Auston didn’t even have this breakfast food in his fridge, but got up early and headed across the street to the 24 hour Rabba to pick it up. He sits at the island in HIS spot and sips at the orange juice that is already there, extra pulp. Just how he likes it but knows Auston hates it.

This is definitely fucking weird.

“How are you feeling?” He asks gingerly, not wanting to make things more awkward.

“Good,” Auston shrugs as he plates both of their eggs and bacon. The toast follows and Auston brings over the pot of coffee and pours himself a mug. “Thanks for coming to get me, I could have just crashed at Johnny’s.

Mitch shrugs as he digs into the food on his plate. His stomach growls loudly and they both let out soft laughter. He’s up and puts in 4 more pieces of bread for toast before resuming his spot at the table. “Was no problem,” he says honestly. “Just hanging with Willy and Zach.” He watches recognition flicker over Auston’s face. The other man puts his fork down for a second and cradles his head in his hands.

“Did you tell me they’re fucking last night or did I dream that?”

Mitch smirks and nods. “They’re totally fucking.”

“Damn,” Auston picks up his fork and shovels another helping of eggs in his mouth. “Cheezies?”

“Spezza.”

“Asshole.”

Mitch gets up to retrieve the toast and grabs both bottles of orange juice.

“Do you remember anything else?” Mitch’s stomach falls as he watches Auston school his expression and shrug. It’s the expression on his face that tells he’s lying. Mitch has learned almost every facial expression of Auston and this is definitely his ‘I’m lying’ face.

“Not really.”

Mitch scoffs. “You don’t remember anything else?” Auston shakes his head and Mitch rolls his eyes. “Right.”

Auston’s back straightens and he is clearly taking a defensive stance. “What?”

“We should talk about it,” Mitch has no idea where this confidence is coming from but it feels right. He thinks about the fact that Auston could have stayed at Johnny’s house last night, others probably were. How when he got there they had been drinking, but it was clear that some of the guys weren’t, and they could have taken Auston home. 

“Dude, nothing to talk about,” Auston gets up from the island and puts his breakfast dishes in the dishwasher.

An alarm goes off on his phone and Mitch looks down at it. He silences it and something prompts him to open up Freddie’s message stream from the night before. It’s then that he notices an imessage he hadn’t seen the night before.

_Marnie. Come get your boy, he’s a sad drunk and needs to go home._

_The fuck?_

_We’re at Johnny’s and he’s pissed out of his mind. Don’t know why you’re not here too, but come get him and take him home. Rest of us are too pissed to drive._

_Plus, he asked for you to come get him. Wants you to take him home._

Mitch hadn’t seen that the night before because at the same time that came in, he’d gotten Auston’s text that he missed him.

He thinks about the fact that Freddie constantly refers to him as ‘your boy’. 

“Did you mean it?” Mitch asks. He looks from his phone up to where Auston is watching him curiously.

“Mean what?”

Mitch raises an eyebrow, challenging Auston. They’re best friends, have been for years and he doesn’t understand how Auston thinks he can fool him into thinking he doesn’t know what he’s referring to. 

“Did you fucking mean it?”

As stubborn as the other man is, Auston refuses to give up the ruse. Mitch knows that when he’s made up his mind about something, it’s hard to get him to budge. Mitch is as frustrated as he is disappointed and he ignores the pang of sadness that echoes in his heart. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, bro.” Methodically Auston scrapes the last bits of food off of the remaining dishes on the island table and loads the dishwasher. He is pointedly not looking at Mitch, which is pissing him off even more as each second passes.

“So that’s a no then. You didn’t mean it, because I know you know exactly what I’m talking about, BRO.” Mitch storms across the room to where his coat is hanging in Auston’s front hall. He checks his pocket for his wallet and car keys, and doesn’t afford a look over his shoulder as he opens Auston’s front door. “Fuck you, Auston. See you on the ice.”

He doesn’t pause to gauge Auston’s response, doesn’t let himself get one last glimpse of his best friend’s face as he walks out of the condo and towards the elevator. Doesn’t think about how fucking long it takes elevators in this building to get to Auston’s floor and how much time there is for Auston to chase him down the hall and apologize.

Auston is nowhere to be seen as Mitch steps into the elevator, presses P2 and follows his heart’s decent into the ground where his car is as cold and miserable as he is.

Mitch makes sure he’s the first at the practice arena that afternoon for practice. He doesn’t want to answer anyone’s questions. He doesn’t want to pretend that his trust in his best friend isn’t shattered. He sure as hell doesn’t want to see everyone else’s good fucking mood when he’s miserable and furious and sure as fuck not ready to run plays with the person who’s put him in this shitty fucking mood.

“What’d that puck do to you?” Johnny says after Mitch makes a furiously sloppy slap shot that misses the net completely and crashes into the glass. When Mitch doesn’t respond John continues. “Or the glass. Fuck Marnie…”

“Don’t,” Mitch warns. He’s respectful but firm. Their eyes meet and John offers him a measured nod.

“Is this going to be a problem?”

Mitch doesn’t break eye contact. He’s a man, he’s a professional and he’s capable of leaving his shit off of the ice, despite what his abysmal shooting in practice has shown. He shakes his head confidently. “No, it’s not.”

“Good.” John doesn’t say anything else as he skates away to where he exchanges words with Keefe at the bench. He sees Willy skating towards him and shakes his head, not wanting any company at the moment. He doesn’t want to piss anyone else off and needs to get his shit together so he can run plays with Matty and Barrie.

They’re skating drills, taking shots on Freddie to get warmed up and Mitch focuses on the smell of the ice, the sound of his blades shredding through the rink and the familiar feel of someone passing a puck effortlessly into his stick’s cradle. He takes his shot, banks it in the upper left corner while Freddy’s a fraction of a second too slow and skates around to the end of his line.

“Marnie,” Auston’s voice cuts through his thoughts and it’s not his ‘game voice’, it’s softer, laced with emotion.

“No,” Mitch bites back without turning his head in Auston’s direction. 

“Mitch. I need to explain.”

“You had your chance Matty,” Mitch looks up to stare Auston in the eye. He’s taken aback by the depth of emotion in Auston’s eyes, the frown on his lips, but he refuses to do this here. Not when he’d tried to do it in private, that morning at Auston’s. “You don’t get to explain now. Not when you don’t remember what you’re even explaining.”

“You know I fucking remembered,” Auston bites out before he surges forward to accept a pass from Barrie to take a shot on Freddie. It’s once Mitch has had his own shot, almost tripping over his own skates like a fucking newbie on ice and is back in line that the conversation continues.

“Nothing to remember,” Mitch hisses meanly.

“Don’t do that,” Auston’s voice is low, practically a growl. “Do you know how fucking hard this is for me?”

“Oh I’m sorry that this is hard on YOU Matty.” Mitch throws his stick down before he’s even realized it. With trembling hands he unfastens his helmet and throws that too. And because his skin is crawling with uncontrollable rage he throws his gloves down too. It feels good to act out in anger, to let the rage out of his system even if just a little bit. The fact that everyone around them has awkwardly stopped skating and are watching them is lost on Mitch who, through his rage, can only focus on Auston. “I wouldn’t want this to be hard for you. So we’ll just pretend nothing happened. That you didn’t SAY ANYTHING. Fuck you Matthews.”

“NO, fuck you Marner,” Auston growls. His stick flies into centre ice and he throws his gloves at Mitch. Just as he’s about to follow his gloves with his own helmet, aimed at his best friend, John is there pulling the helmet out of Auston’s hands from behind.

“Take it to the locker room,” he says loudly making sure both Mitch and Auston hear him. They both glare at him angrily. As Mitch is about to argue John points the hand with Auston’s helmet towards the tunnel to the locker rooms. “Get the fuck off the ice boys and deal with your shit. I won’t ask again.”

He’d promised John that this wouldn’t be a problem, but here they were and they’d caused a full stoppage of practice. He lowers his head so that none of his teammates can meet his eyes as he skates off the ice towards the locker rooms. He is confused, embarrassed and surprisingly not angry, just disappointed. With practiced moves, Mitch takes off his skates and sits at his locker, leaning forward with his head in his hands. He’s aware of when Auston joins him in the locker room but it appears that all of the fight has left his best friend as well. Now they’re both just quiet.

“Of course I fucking remember what I said last night,” Auston finally says, voice low and controlled. Mitch affords himself a glance to his right and sees the other man staring straight ahead at the wall across from them. “I’ve said it so many times in my head that it’s all I hear some days.”

“Whatever,” Mitch sighs. “I’m done fighting, you win.”

Auston chuckles but there is no humour in it. “Oh that was you fighting? Maybe you’d have fought a little harder if I was something you actually cared about.”

Those words cause Mitch’s blood to boil and for him to see red. “The fuck is that supposed to mean? You have no fucking clue what I care about.”

“I know what you don’t care about, and that’s me.”

“You’re the fucking asshole who’s pulled away from me. You’re the one that’s given up on me, on our friendship,” Mitch accuses angrily. He stands up so that he’s hovering over Auston and has the upper hand. “So fuck you. You don’t talk to me off the ice for a month, then you text me that you miss me. I come and fucking pick you up from Johnny’s and I don’t care about you?”

Auston’s face is controlled, no telling emotion in the depths of his eyes. Slowly, he stands up to full height, three inches taller than Mitch and steps in closer, so close that their chests are touching, both heaving from the increased tension and emotion in the room around them.

“Everything’s so fucking easy for you that you forget that not everyone is as okay with themselves as you are,” Auston doesn’t sound angry, just matter of fact. “You’re Mitch fucking Marner, abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous, nice and genuine, the poster boy for perfection. You know who you are, what you want and how to get it. From the fucking minute we met you cast this damn spell on me and all I see is you, all I hear is your voice. All I fucking smell is you, and as close as I am to you, it’s never close enough.”

Mitch isn’t sure what the hell is happening but he’s mesmerized by Auston’s mouth, the way he’s focusing so intently on all of Mitch standing before him. He worries that his heart is about to beat out of his chest but can’t for the life of him say anything because he’s hanging on every word.

“You’re bi, it’s one of the first fucking things you said to me. And I didn’t care, you were Mitch, my new best friend and who you fucked had nothing to do with us. Until suddenly it did. And I don’t know what changed but suddenly all I wanted to fucking do was climb on you and taste you, feel you, want you to fucking wreck me.”

“Jesus,” Mitch moans as he runs his hand through his hair in a nervous movement. “Matty…”

“And god, you just have no fucking clue,” Auston sounds pained by his words but also slightly relieved to be getting this all off of his chest.

“God I’m fucking in love with you,” Mitch feels that he should admit it. Auston confessed the night before, and has all but confirmed it now, so Mitch knows he needs to at least admit that he feels the same. Auston pauses and Mitch nods. They step even closer, Mitch’s hands resting on Auston’s shoulders. “I am, you’re … god Matty, you’re everything to me and this past month has been killing me because fuck, all I can think is that you’ve figured out how I feel about you and it’s made you uncomfortable. That you want nothing to do with me because of it.”

“It was getting too hard not to want more,” Auston admits breathlessly. His hands have made it to Mitch’s hips, fisting tightly in his practice jersey. “You fit yourself against me so perfectly that I had a hard time remembering you’re not mine.”

Mitch’s hands dance up Auston’s shoulders to the nape of his neck and he pulls the other man’s head down so that they’re nose to nose. Their breath mingling between them as their breathing is laboured from the level of sexual tension that is surrounding them. 

“I’ve always been yours,” Mitch admits as he covers Auston’s mouth with his own in a filthy kiss. Mitch uses the brief gasp of surprise from Auston to slide his tongue into the other man’s mouth as he pulls gently on the lightly curled hair on Auston’s neck.

Auston pulls Mitch in as tight as he can, wrapping his arms around Mitch’s lithe body while chasing the kiss with an insatiable hunger. “Fuck Marn,” Auston moans, breaking the kiss. He places soft kisses up Mitch’s jaw to his ear in an effort to catch his breath. “The things I want to do to you.” He punctuates his promise with a rough nip on Mitch’s earlobe.

Trembling hands make it under Auston’s jersey, scrambling to reach the heated skin of his chest and abdomen. Mitch leans back and catch’s Auston’s eyes with his own as he licks his lips playfully. Their mouths meet in a brief kiss that is more the two of them just breathing into each other’s mouths than anything else. 

“Tell me,” he begs. “Tell me what you’ll do to me.”

“Wanna fuck you til you don’t know your name.”

“Wanna ride you in your lazy boy,” Mitch adds biting Auston’s lower lip with purpose. “While you’re playing Chel.”

“Wanna suck your cock and finger you til you’re crying.”

“Want you to bend me over, fuck me while you spank me.” Mitch smiles at the way Auston shivers at his words. Their eyes meet and he sees something soften in the other man’s eyes.

“Wanna bring you home. Wanna introduce you to my mama.”

Mitch’s face wrinkles in confusion. “I’ve met your mom, Aus. Hell, I’ve met your whole family. Your sister’s convinced we’re getting married.” He laughs at the growl that escape’s Auston’s lips at how his sister is in love with Mitch.

“Wanna bring you home and introduce you to my mama as my boyfriend,” Auston corrects himself and Mitch melts. They share a soft, gentle kiss.

“So… I guess you two haven’t killed each other?” A voice interrupts the otherwise silence in the room. They don’t break apart completely, but do turn their heads to look at the man standing at the door to the locker room. John is an imposing figure in the light, his arms crossed over his chest and an impatient expression on his face.

Mitch can see the fondness there too, so he’s not too worried about being caught out. He offers his captain a sheepish smile and a shrug, pleased that Austin still has his hands around his waist, holding him protectively. “Uhhhh.”

“Johnny,” Auston starts to speak, interrupted when John shakes his head and holds up his hand to silence him.

“I don’t care,” John says with firm authority but also a kindness they’d expected. “Did you two figure it out?”

Mitch and Auston exchange blushing smiles and loving gazes before they focus back on John. 

“Yes,” they both admit happily.

“Good. Now you’ve got practice to make up for. While you’ve been figuring your shit out, the rest of us have been working hard. So suit back up and get your asses back out on the ice.”

Mitch moves to complain, all he wants to do is go home and talk this further with Auston. And maybe take it further at the same time, but Auston’s hand tightens on his waist and Mitch closes his mouth.

“Yes Cap,” Mitch whines dutifully. It garners a laugh from both Auston and John. 

They head back out onto the ice where everyone is standing around and talking. All conversation stops the moment both of their skates hit the ice and someone begins clapping. It takes seconds for everyone to join in, offering Mitch and Auston a standing ovation as they skate laps to warm up.

“Don’t you fuckers have somewhere else to be?” Auston shouts, hiding his blush behind his gloved hand.

It’s Hyman who answers. “Not if we get to see Marnie clocking you one.” It’s met with laughter from the rest of the team as they filter off of the ice shouting their goodbyes.

“I could you know,” Mitch says as he breezes past Auston. 

Auston speeds up so that he’s skating alongside Mitch. “You could what?”

“Clock you. One two punch and you’d go down like a sack of bricks.”

“In your dreams,” Auston responds, smacking Mitch in the ass with his stick. He speeds up and looks over his shoulder to see the affronted look on his boyfriend’s face.

Mitch curls his lips and bares his teeth playfully. “Oh it’s on Matty.”

Finis


End file.
